This vegan apple hazelnut frangipane tart is a wonderful autumn bake. It features a crisp shortcrust pastry shell filled with a nutty hazelnut and almond frangipane, topped with thinly sliced apples and crunchy hazelnuts. It works beautifully as a dessert for a dinner party or as a treat with coffee or tea.
Apple and hazelnut are an ideal seasonal pairing, and this tart celebrates those flavours with a mix of textures: a crumbly, buttery shortcrust base, a soft, nutty frangipane and crisp apple slices. The tart can be served warm with cream, ice cream or custard, or enjoyed cold as a mid-morning or afternoon snack with tea or coffee.
Ingredient Details
Hazelnuts: Use roasted, skinned hazelnuts. These can be bought ready-prepared or roasted and skinned at home. If you roast your own, ensure they are completely cool before pulsing in a blender, otherwise they can release oil and turn into nut butter. Pre-ground hazelnut flour is fine if it is from toasted hazelnuts and not defatted.
Apples: Any firm, crisp apple will work — Pink Lady and Granny Smith are good choices, but Braeburn or Jazz are also suitable.
Plain (all-purpose) flour: Use regular plain flour for the pastry and frangipane. This recipe has not been tested with wholemeal or gluten-free flours, though a plain gluten-free blend may work in the frangipane.
Cornflour (cornstarch): Helps set the frangipane so it holds together once baked.
Vegan block butter: For the best texture, use a block-style vegan butter or margarine, not a soft tub spread. This is particularly important for the pastry to achieve a crisp, flaky result.
Ground almonds (almond flour): Using a combination of hazelnuts and ground almonds keeps the frangipane from becoming too oily and gives a lovely crumbly texture to the pastry as well.
Vodka: A splash of vodka in the pastry helps create a crisper crust because alcohol contains less water than plain water and evaporates during baking. It’s optional — you can substitute cold water if you prefer.
Milk: A non-dairy milk is used here; hazelnut milk pairs well to enhance the hazelnut flavour, but any non-dairy milk will work (avoid tinned coconut milk).
Baking powder: A small amount in the frangipane replaces the lift that eggs would normally provide.
Sugar: Both caster or granulated sugar and icing (powdered) sugar are used. This recipe is designed for granulated and powdered sugars rather than liquid sweeteners or substitutes.
Jam (optional): A thin layer of jam under the frangipane is optional. Apple, blackberry or blackcurrant jam work well.
How To Make Apple Hazelnut Frangipane Tart
(Full measurements and instructions are included in the recipe card below)
- Step 1: For the pastry, combine plain flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and salt. Add cold diced vegan butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs and there are no large butter pieces.
- Step 2: Add a tablespoon of cold vodka (or water) and enough cold water to bring the pastry together into a ball. Shape into a disc, wrap and chill for about an hour.
- Step 3: Roll the chilled pastry into a circle large enough to line a 25 cm (10 in) loose-bottom tart tin. Press into the corners and trim the excess.
- Step 4: Freeze the lined tart tin for 20 minutes, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or dried rice to blind bake.
- Step 5: Bake the shell for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans and bake another 5–10 minutes until lightly golden and dry to the touch. Cool slightly.
- Step 6: For the frangipane, pulse roasted skinned hazelnuts in a food processor until fairly finely chopped. Add two tablespoons of the flour and pulse carefully until the nuts are finely ground; avoid over-blending to prevent turning them into butter.
- Step 7: Transfer the hazelnut mixture to a bowl and whisk in the remaining flour, cornflour, ground almonds, baking powder, sugar, melted butter, non-dairy milk and extracts until smooth.
- Step 8: Core the apples. Cut two into halves and two into quarters, then thinly slice each section while keeping the slices together for neat presentation.
- Step 9: If using jam, spread a thin layer over the cooled pastry base.
- Step 10: Pour the frangipane into the pastry case.
- Step 11: Arrange the apple slices on top, pressing them gently into the frangipane, and scatter chopped hazelnuts over the surface.
- Step 12: Bake for about 50 minutes until the frangipane is set and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last part of baking. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Top Tips
These recipes are developed using gram measurements; use a digital kitchen scale for the most consistent results. Measuring spoons should be standard: 1 tablespoon = 15 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
Pulse hazelnuts in short bursts to avoid them releasing oils. Adding a little flour to the nuts while pulsing helps prevent them from turning to butter. Chill the pastry thoroughly before rolling to keep it firm and easy to handle. Freezing the tart shell before blind baking helps prevent shrinkage and promotes a crisper finish.
If you’re short on time, shop-bought vegan shortcrust pastry can be used — check labels to confirm it is vegan. For a decorative finish, you can fan the apple slices in a circular pattern rather than leaving them in their original groupings.
FAQ
Store the tart in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Serve either chilled or briefly warmed in the microwave.
The pastry can be made up to two days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge. If it becomes too firm, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling. You can also roll and line the tin, then freeze until firm and store in the freezer for up to a week; blind bake from frozen. The frangipane is best made fresh, but you can grind the hazelnuts and mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and store them airtight at room temperature, then add the wet ingredients when ready to bake.
Leftovers freeze well if wrapped carefully to avoid freezer burn; store for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Serve warm with ice cream, cream or custard, or enjoy a slice cold with tea or coffee.
Recipe Card
Apple Hazelnut Frangipane Tart (vegan)
Equipment
- 25 cm / 10 in round loose-bottom tart tin
- Baking beans or dried rice for blind baking
Ingredients
Pastry
- 200 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g ground almonds (almond flour)
- 30 g icing (powdered) sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 130 g vegan block butter, cold and diced
- 1 tbsp cold vodka (or water)
Frangipane
- 125 g roasted skinned hazelnuts
- 75 g plain flour
- 75 g ground almonds (almond flour)
- 40 g cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 120 g caster or granulated sugar
- 120 g vegan block butter, melted
- 150 g hazelnut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To assemble
- 4 small apples (Granny Smith / Pink Lady / Braeburn / Jazz)
- Handful of roughly chopped hazelnuts
- Approx. 175 g jam (apple, blackberry or blackcurrant) — optional
Times & Servings
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Chilling time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Serves: 10 people
- Author: Domestic Gothess
Instructions (summary)
- Make the pastry by rubbing cold butter into flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and salt. Add vodka and cold water to bind, form a disc and chill for an hour.
- Roll out and line a 25 cm tart tin, prick the base, freeze for 20 minutes, then blind bake at 180°C/160°C fan (350°F/gas mark 4) for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and bake a further 5–10 minutes until pale golden and dry.
- Pulse hazelnuts with a little flour until finely ground, taking care not to overblend. Mix remaining dry ingredients with melted butter, milk and extracts to make a smooth frangipane.
- Core and thinly slice apples. Spread jam (if using) on the pastry base, pour in the frangipane, arrange apple slices on top and scatter chopped hazelnuts.
- Bake for about 50 minutes until set. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- See the main post above for step-by-step photos and further tips.
- Use a digital scale for best results — metric weights are more reliable than cup measures.
- If roasting your own hazelnuts, ensure they are fully cooled before processing.
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